Storm of the Heart
by leatherknight
Summary: The sequel to Wake of Aquilon


From: [leatherknight@hotmail.com][1]

December 6th , 1999 9:30 PM

This is the sequel to The Wake of Aquilon. After the tragic loss of a man she barely knew, Athena struggles with letting go. It's amazing how much inspiration can come from a single album. Again inspired by the songs "The Hourglass" and "Stay" from the Album "The Wake of Magellan", by Savatage. Hope you enjoy!

Here's that disclaimer thing again: All characters and vehicles referred to are the property of Glen A. Larson with the exception of Lieutenant Michas, Sergeant Milesar, and the XR-1 Raptor. Those are mine.

Battlestar Galactica

The Storm of the Heart

By

Mike Newby

Based on the characters created by

Glen A. Larson

_Athena could see the blood staining the collar of Michas' fight suit. She smelled it's coppery scent, flooding the cramped canopy, mixing with the acrid smell of burnt electronics._

She grasped her flight controls and began fighting with the wounded ship. Watching Michas's movements and trying to match them, helping him fly the crippled craft.

The coast of the ocean rushed up to meet them.

"Athena!" Milesar called out. "Punch out! Punch out!"

"No!" Athena cried, listening to Michas' words, which had dropped of to a soft whisper, his head beginning to sag again.

"Athena!" Apollo called over the com.

"Get out of it!" Starbuck called. "Punch out! Punch out!"

"Four thousand metrons!" Milesar cried out.

Athena continued to wrestle with the stick, trying desperately to level their decent. She grabbed the throttle and wrenched it back, the remaining engine howling in protest.

Alarms sounded in the cockpit, like the ships dying scream.

Time slowed as she saw Michas' blood covered hand slap the ejection control for her seat.

"No!" Athena cried, but her scream was drowned out by the rushing wind. It slammed into her, knocking the breath out of her lungs. She was dimly aware of the canopy tumbling away in one direction, and the smoking bulk of the Raptor plummeting on in another with a howl of rushing air.

Over the battery backup in her helmet com, she could still hear Michas singing, his voice a hoarse whisper as the life ebbed from him.

__

"Everything I ever had for just one more tomorrow,

Everything I ever had for just one more night.

And if this is not to be I pray could I borrow 

Just another final centar unto my life."

She heard the impact, like a dull whump as the cloud of debris erupted from the ground below. Michas's voice was gone. There was nothing in her ears now except an ominous hiss.

"Michas!"

Athena sat bolt upright in her bed, her long dark hair stringy, hanging in her face, her body covered in a sheen of cold sweat. She got up and walked into the next room, standing before the wash basin and staring at herself in the mirror.

Her memory flashed back again to a moment before the crash, before the loss. She sat behind him, as he finished testing the experimental fighter. Her father had just ordered them to scan a nearby planet.

"Shall we?" she asked.

The voice that answered was deep, and so gentle. In hindsight, she realized that it had also been filled with affection.

"Anything my lady wishes," Michas had replied.

She felt the tears welling up again.

"Anything the lady wishes?" she thought to herself. In a heaving sigh, she fought the emotion back down. "I wish you were here, Michas. I wish we had had a chance."

She splashed some water on her face and reserved herself to another sleepless night.

Adama, Tigh, and Doctor Wilker stood clustered around the video monitor in the Commander's office. On the display, they watched the telemetry replays of the doomed experimental fighter.

Adama swallowed his heart again as the telemetry readouts showed the two hits the Raptor absorbed from the Cylon fighter. The dogfight had not been a part of the original test when Adama and the council had authorized the construction of the prototype ship. In the course of the test flight, the ship and it's two escorting fighters had run into a Cylon Sentinel Post and been ambushed. The end result, two men dead, and two ships destroyed, including the prototype.

The scanner view switched to an external camera on Flight Sergeant Milesar's Viper as he followed the Raptor on its deadly plummet through the atmosphere towards the surface.

His heart felt as though it would burst from his chest as he heard the haunting song that the doomed pilot and his daughter sang together, and then the puff of smoke as he watched Athena's seat catapulted from the falling fighter.

Forty microns later, the readouts of the Raptor winked to darkness as Milesar's scanner recorded the fighter plowing into the sandy shore.

He forced a deep breath before he was able to speak.

"Well?" he asked, looking first to Colonel Tigh and then to Doctor Wilker.

The Doctor, who was the head of the development team for the Raptor Project rubbed his thumb against his chin as he ran the recording back to the first hit, watching the display as the shield recorded the number of ergons absorbed from the Cylon laser blast.

His eyes expertly scanned the other statistics until he nodded.

When he finally spoke, his usually droning voice had an even deeper edge of detachment.

"This information will allow us to calculate the upper limit of the Cylon weapons more accurately." He stated, his thumb still rubbing his chin. "With that, we can increase the durability of the ship so that it could withstand more punishment." His eyes wandered over the printed report of the maneuverability test.

"As far as performance, the Raptor actually exceeded our expectations," he stated. "Right down to structural integrity of the crash."

Adama subtly caught his breath. 

"Why weren't the scanners able to detect the Cylon outpost sooner?" asked Tigh.

Wilker compared some of the readings before he spoke.

"The new engine configuration produced some unusual resonance signals that the operator had to adjust for. Once that was done, the scanners functioned within their expected tolerances."

Wilker looked up at Adama. "It's a good thing Athena is as good on the scanner as she is, or they might not have seen the outpost until it registered on the Vipers equipment. If that had been the case, we could have lost all three ships in the ambush."

Adama suppressed a shudder at the mention of the even worse potential disaster.

"What are your recommendations, Doctor?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"I'd like to begin construction of two more prototypes," Wilker said with conviction. "With the data that we have here, we can make the necessary adjustments to bring the ship up to its full potential."

Adama looked over at Tigh. "Colonel?" he asked.

"I think it's a logical next step, Commander," Tigh answered. "Otherwise, those men out there would have died for nothing."

Adama switched the scanner off and walked over to the viewport, his eyes wandering across the dotted backdrop of stars. After a long few microns he gave a quiet sigh.

"Very well." He said. "Have the industry ships begin construction of the prototypes."

He turned back to face them, his gaze dark. "But know this, I will not suffer any more lives being lost on this project."

"Yes, sir," both men answered.

Adama fixed his dark eyes on them for a long micron before dismissing the two men.

Since the tragedy of the first test, Athena had been on an extended furlon while she got over the stress of her ordeal. As she wandered around a corner, she bumped into the last person she wanted to see. Starbuck.

"Hi," he said, his hands resting on his hips as his eyes dropped toward the floor. "Uh, how are you doing." His words froze when he looked up at her.

Starbuck had seen Athena when she was frustrated. He had even seen her infuriated by him, but nothing compared to the ice in her pale blue eyes. Her face was set in stone and she looked right through him with an expression of total contempt. Without a word, she stepped to one side and continued down the corridor.

"Athena?" Starbuck called after her, moving to follow. She wheeled on him and held him in place with those fierce blue eyes.

"Leave me alone, Starbuck," she said, spitting his name. "I've got nothing to say to you, ever." And then she was gone.

Once she was out of sight, Starbuck let his breath out slowly. He thought about following her, and then thought better of it, turning instead to go find his best friend, Apollo.

Apollo sat in his quarters, relaxing for the first time in sectons. Boxy was in study period, Muffy was down in Wilker's lab, so he had the chamber all to himself, until the door chime rang.

He sighed as he set the book down. "Come in," he called.

The door slid open and in walked a very exasperated Starbuck.

"Can we talk?" he asked, fidgeting nervously.

Apollo's smile faded as he saw the state his friend was in. Starbuck only fidgeted when he was in trouble, or dare he say it, afraid?

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Have you seen your sister lately?" asked Starbuck.

Apollo shook his head. "I talked to her after the flight, and she said she wanted some time to herself. Why?"

"I just bumped into her in the corridor," Starbuck continued. "I don't know her as well as you do, buddy, but I've never seen what I just saw a few centons ago."

"What?" Apollo asked as he rose. "Is she all right?"

"I don't think so," Starbuck replied. "I thought she was going to burn me down where I stood."

"What?" Apollo gave a nervous laugh. His smile faded as he read the seriousness in Starbuck's face.

"Until today I've never been afraid of anyone, and I mean anyone. I'll tell ya, I would rather face a horde of Cylons alone, than what I just saw, if you know what I mean?"

"No, I don't," Apollo answered. He began moving toward the door when the chime sounded again.

"Come in," Apollo called. So much for leaving quickly. The door slid open again, and in walked a nervous looking Boomer, and a downright frightened Jolly.

"What happened to you two?" asked Apollo, his heart beginning to pound.

"Guess what the council has approved?" Boomer said. "They're going to build two more prototype Raptors."

"What?" Starbuck asked.

"After the fiasco with the first one?" Apollo said in stunned disbelief.

"It gets better," Jolly continued. "They're going to pick the best twelve pilots and the best twelve scan tech as the crews."

"You can't be serious," Apollo said.

"Oh, they're serious," Boomer put in. "And guess whose name is already on the list?"

Starbuck shifted even more. "Athena?"

"Bingo," said Boomer. "But she doesn't want to be a scan tech."

"She doesn't?" Apollo said as he let himself fall back into his seat.

"She want's to be one of the pilots," Jolly said.

"I think that incident with Lieutenant Michas really got to her," Boomer said.

"That's what I was trying to tell you – " Starbuck began, but Apollo cut him off.

"We need to find her, right now," he said. "Call the bridge and have them page me if one of you finds her before I do."

"You got it," said Boomer. The four warriors exited the room and fanned out through the ship.

A little over a centar later, a voice came over the loudspeaker as Apollo entered the Rejuvenation Chamber.

"Captain Apollo, please contact the bridge. Captain Apollo, please contact the bridge."

Apollo grabbed the telecom and pressed the appropriate extension.

"This is Captain Apollo," he said.

On the other end, Flight Officer Omega's voice came over the speaker.

"Captain, Flight Sergeant Jolly says he needs you down in the simulator room right away."

"Thank you," said Apollo. He hung up and took off back down the corridor at a jog.

Outside the simulator room, Jolly stood pacing in front of the hatch.

"What's up?" Apollo called.

"She's in there," Jolly said. "According to Daggit, she's been in there for over four centars."

"What?" Apollo stepped through the hatch.

Two doors stood at the end of a short corridor. Behind one of hem, Apollo and Jolly could hear the muffled sounds of a simulator in operation. Behind the other was the control center.

The two warriors chose the quiet door and stepped through into a lit room, filled with computer readouts and control stations. Behind the control station for simulator three, sat Ensign Dag, or Daggit as he was known. He stared intently at the various lighted displays while occasionally hitting a few switches.

"Hey, Captain," he said. "I think you're gonna want to see this."

"What's up, Daggit?" asked Apollo as he stooped to peer over the operator's shoulder.

"Your sister, that's what!" Said Daggit as he jabbed a finger at the readouts, and Apollo heard the first tinges of nervous fear in the operator's voice. "She's jacked up to the max!"

"What?" 

"Athena came in here about four and a half centars ago and asked if I could run the simulator for her. Since I didn't have anything scheduled till this evening, I let her in."

"And?"

"And she's been at it ever since." Daggit said. He shook his head in mild frustration. "I can usually set up things that would frustrate anyone into quitting, but not her."

"She can be stubborn," said Apollo.

"Blast stubborn," said Daggit. "Try fanatical. I broke in over the intercom about two centars ago and told her that she had hit her time limit, and you know what she said?"

Apollo shrugged.

Daggit sat back. "She said, quote; Daggit, if you switch me off now, I swear to Kobol I'll tear your head off. Unquote." He finished his statement with an emphatic nod.

He hit a switch that showed a rendition of what the simulator was running. The Viper was writhing and turning like something possessed, lasers blazing at the Cylon fighters that swarmed around it.

"What level is she at?" asked Apollo in fascination.

"That's the scary part," Daggit said. "She's at level zeta seven."

"What?" Apollo bellowed in shock, causing both Daggit and Jolly to jump.

Daggit took a deep breath and calmed himself. He nodded. "Been there for about seventy-five centons now."

"How many times has she been shot down?" Jolly asked.

"Once," said Daggit. "About two and a half centars ago."

Apollo and Jolly stared at each other in disbelief.

"Hey, Captain," said Daggit. "That's not the scary part."

He reached up to a switch and his fingers shook before he activated it.

"I had to turn this off after thirty centons."

"Why?"

"Because, Captain. My mother told me never to stare into the eyes of Diabolis"

The monitor brightened to show the inside of the cockpit, and Athena's face rimmed by the lights of her flight helmet.

Apollo and Jolly both felt their blood run chill at the sight.

She sat in the cockpit, staring out at nothing, her gaze glassy and lifeless, but absorbed completely in her task.

Apollo saw the rings circling her eyes, yet the light within them blazed with unrestrained rage.

"Shut it down," said Apollo.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Daggit asked.

"Now," Apollo said sharply.

"Okay," said Daggit as he reached for the cut out. "It's your funeral."

Apollo turned and went out into the gallery just as the lights came up and the simulator began to open.

"Daggit!" Athena bellowed. She threw the helmet out and yanked herself out of the cockpit. "You little snitrad, I'll -!"

"You'll what?" asked Apollo, matching her tone. His voice froze her for a moment.

"What's going on, Athena?" Apollo asked, a little more softly. He swallowed as he met her eyes. They were cold as ice, yet filled with a fury he had never seen, not even in his own father.

"Nothing," she said. She moved to leave, but Apollo stepped in front of her.

"Athena," he said.

"Get out of my way Apollo," she growled.

"Not till we talk," said Apollo.

Athena stepped to the opposite side, but Apollo blocked her again.

Her fists clenched and she stared up at him as if he were a hated enemy.

"When I feel like talking," she said in a hoarse whisper. "I'll talk. Now stand aside."

"I don't think so," Apollo said, tensing for a fight. "Why don't you and I go to the officers club and get a –"

The blow sent him stumbling back before he spun and fell face first to the floor. He hadn't even seen the punch coming until it had slammed into his face. He rolled over and looked up at his sister. She stood over him, a shocked, and bitterly hurt expression on her face.

"Athena?" he asked. He tried to say more, but the pain he saw in her face took his breath away.

Athena's chest was heaving. Her face was a mask of rage and torment.

"Leave me alone," she growled, and she stormed out of the room.

Apollo slowly pulled himself to his feet as Jolly and Daggit rushed over to assist him.

"If I hadn't seen it," said Jolly. "I never would have believed it."

"You okay, Captain?" asked Daggit.

Apollo nodded, the back of his hand rubbing the corner of his mouth. He was surprised when he saw blood on his hand.

"She got me good," he said.

"I feel sorry for the others," said Daggit.

"Others?" asked Jolly.

"Yeah," said Daggit. "Every pilot on the Galactica is signing up for the selection to fly the new Raptors if the council approves them. The contest starts in two days."

"Contest?" asked Apollo.

"Tigh thought it would be interesting to have the pilots fly simulated dogfights to determine the best twelve pilots for the program." Daggit said. He looked from Jolly to Apollo.

"I thought you know," he continued. "That's why she was in here. She was getting ready for the first round."

"Well," said Jolly. "I know I'm not going to fly against her."

Apollo looked toward the door. "I know what you mean."

Athena sat at the bar in the Officer's Club the following night, staring down at her half full mug of ale. She slammed it down and signaled for a refill.

"Better take it easy," the bar man cautioned. "That's your fifth one in a centar."

"Just keep them coming," Athena said, not looking up.

Shaking his head, perhaps in sympathy, the barman placed a fresh mug in front of her and moved away.

He spied Lieutenant Dietra strolling in and subtly motioned her over. After a few whispered words, Dietra made her way over to Athena.

She signaled the bar man for a mug of her own and sat down next to her.

"Hi," she said, looking ahead. She turned her face on Athena and saw her also staring at nothing, a hint of wetness on the rims of her eyes.

"Hey," Dietra said sympathetically. She placed a reassuring hand on Athena's shoulder.

The tears flowed from her in streams as she sat in silence. 

"I miss his voice," Athena whispered. "I miss his singing."

"I know," said Dietra quietly. "We all do." She looked around and saw a few of the other warriors staring in their direction. On every face there was a touch of sympathy. Dietra gave a nod to Captain Det. Quietly, the Red Squadron commander signaled everyone to respect the two ladies privacy.

"Let's get out of here," Dietra said. Athena let herself be led, like a child, from the Officers Club.

As they reached the end of the bar, the bar man slipped a full bottle of ambrosia into Dietra's hand. He gave a nod, and a smile, and then went back to his work.

In the Red Squadron ready room, Athena sat at the table, a glass in her hand.

"I just don't understand," she said, her voice coming in shaky breaths. "I meet someone who actually makes me want to get over Starbuck, and in a matter of a few microns, he's dying in front of me." She held her hands out. "It took his dying before he could speak his heart to me. Am I that hard to approach?"

"It has nothing to do with that," said Dietra gently.

"Then what?" Athena blurted out.

"I don't know," Dietra answered. "I do know that you can be difficult to approach at times, especially off prime. You have this wall around you a maxim thick. Most people don't know how to break through it."

"I heard him last yesterday," Athena said, her voice suddenly subdued.

"What?" asked Dietra.

Athena nodded. "In the simulator. I could hear him singing to me the entire time I was flying."

"Is that why you decked your brother?" Dietra asked. "Because he interrupted you?"

Athena winced at the memory of striking Apollo.

"It's all right to hurt, Athena," Dietra consoled her. "It's part of the healing process. Part of letting go."

"I don't want to let him go," Athena said.

The next morning, the contest for positions in the Galactica's Black Raptor Squadron began. According to the rules of the contest, each pilot was allotted two "lives". If the pilot was "shot down" twice, he was out of the contest. After the first round, thirty pilots had been eliminated. Five of them by the Commander's daughter!

On the second day, candidates began to keep track of whom they would fly against. On day three, the names of those to be most feared began to circulate. Pilots would grimace when they saw their names paired up with Starbuck, Athena, Dietra, Milesar.

By day four, only candidates from Red and Blue and Silver Spar squadrons remained.

Before the trials continued, Apollo pulled Starbuck aside.

"What's up?" asked Starbuck.

"I've had a talk with Greenbean," said Apollo in a conspiriatory voice. "He's agreed to let you win. Once you do, Daggit is going to put you up against Athena."

"Uh," Starbuck said nervously. "Do you think that's a good idea? I mean. She's been blowing the pogees out of everyone she runs into. Boomer was the only one to score a kill against her."

"And you're down one as well," said Apollo. "I'm hoping we can burn her out, and let her get her frustrations out as well."

"On me?" Starbuck sighed. "Oh, swell."

"You," said Apollo, tapping his forefinger on Starbucks chest. "Because, frankly, you're the only one who stands a chance at beating her."

As if in answer, Captain Det walked out of the room, a defeated look on his face. He saw Apollo and Starbuck standing off to the side and stepped over.

"I've got to hand it to you," he said. "That sister of yours is good." He turned and headed away from them, his head hanging slightly.

"Uh," Starbuck said, watching Det leave. "That didn't exactly do wonders for my confidence."

The final day, twenty pilots remained, with twelve slots for the Black Raptors waiting to be filled. Athena walked down the corridor and stared at the monitor. When she saw her opponent, her gaze went dark.

"Starbuck."

The man who had broken her heart, and still managed to lead her around like a little lost daggit. The man she had once loved.

"Hey, Athena," came a familiar voice. "Checking to see who your next victim will be?" She turned and saw Sheba strolling over to her. She looked up at the list and found out who her opponent would be. Then her eyes traveled up to Athena's name. She looked at the opponent and then at Athena.

"Oh boy," she said while subtly watching Athena's reaction.

Athena looked at her with a glare that would freeze solium, and said nothing. Then she walked off down the corridor.

Sheba stared back at the list. She had been brought into Apollo's confidence regarding the plan to weed out his sister. She didn't exactly like the way Apollo was doing things. It seemed, at the time she heard it, Apollo was simply on another one of his over protective kicks. Seeing the look in Athena's eyes, and watching the reaction, she realized that this was not the over protective attitudes of a big brother. She swallowed hard. "This is not going to be pretty."

Someone had once said that word travels fast on a Battlestar. Never was a truer statement made. As soon as it was known that the commander's daughter was about to go head to head with Blue Squadrons' most unpredictable pilot, everyone had a wager on their favorite, with Starbuck taking the majority of the odds.

"The Battle of the Yahren" as it was being hailed was hyped up, even getting a small bit on the IFB.

When it was learned that Commander Adama would be there to observe, unsubstantiated speculation ran wild that the winner of the fight would be granted command of the Black Raptor Squadron.

In the Blue Squadron ready room, Starbuck stood by the stairs, fidgeting nervously.

"Last time I saw you like this was before the Nova Madigon," said Apollo.

"Yeah,"said Starbuck. "At least there, if I screwed up, I wouldn't see it coming. This time, I've got a angry woman out there after my hide."

"Never seemed to bother you before?" said Boomer.

"Apollo?" Starbuck looked at his friend. Apollo shook his head.

"I can't help you on this one."

Starbuck looked over at Boomer who slowly began to shake his head.

"I got eliminated last round."

Apollo checked his chrono. "Well, it's time."

Athena paced restlessly about the Red Squadron ready room, with Dietra and Brie watching her.

"Will you stop?" said Dietra finally. "You're making me nervous."

Athena said nothing, her eyes focused inward. Her body coursed with adrenaline as she watched the microns ticking down. Her hand kept reaching up to fidget with something inside her combat jacket.

Finally, it was time, and she spun around, grabbing her helmet as she headed towards the simulators.

Dietra and Brie exchanged looks, and Brie saw the concern on Dietra's face.

"What?"

"She's really jacked up," said Dietra. "Maybe too jacked up."

The two women rose and followed quickly after Athena. They caught up with her in the corridor, just before they entered the Training Room.

Athena was walking more slowly, her head bowed. As the two women approached, they saw something in her hands. A crumpled piece of parchment.

"What's that?" asked Brie, and she stopped short when she saw the dark brown stains on it.

"That looks like blood," said Dietra in shock. "What is it?"

Athena stopped and turned to face them, her eyes like ice.

"Let me see," said Dietra as she extended her hand. She held the grisly trophy and read it.

"The Wake of Aquilon?" she asked. She stopped when her eyes fell on the bottom of the page, and the name signed to it.

"Michas," she whispered. She looked up to see Athena as she reached the door.

"Hey!" Dietra called out. The sharpness of her voice brought Athena to a startled halt. Dietra started toward her, her dark eyes going a shade darker.

"Is this what it's all been about?" she asked, holding the parchment up.

When Athena didn't answer. Dietra pressed on.

"Is it?" She looked at Athena for a long micron. "All the rage and fury over him?"

"No!" said Athena. "Not him! Me! I've spent the last, I don't know how many yahrens, fawning over someone I can't have, and missing out on what was really important! I want something for myself that has nothing to do with Starbuck, or anyone else!"

"Felgercarb!" Dietra hissed at her. She looked at Athena and shook her head. "You are so filled with rage and hurt, I don't think you know what you want!"

"I gotta go," said Athena, turning away.

"Fine!" said Dietra. "Just remember one thing, Athena. In that simulator, we do only the things we would do in real life! This whole contest has been a game to everyone else but you! You walk in that door! You do what you want! But don't let the fancy technology fool you! Ask yourself one question before you blast him out of the sky; would you do it out there?" She flung her head in the direction of the void beyond the hull.

Without a word, Athena snatched the paper back and stepped into the simulator room.

Through the opposite door, she saw Starbuck also enter. The two warriors stared at each other for a long micron, and for the first time in the yahrens that Athena had known him, Starbuck looked away. There was something in his eyes that pierced her heart like a knife. Fear.

He was afraid! Afraid of her! Her anger welled up again, and she allowed herself a bitter smile. The smile faded when she spied her father in the observation room, staring down at her, his voice a mask of concern.

Before she would allow her emotions to get the better of her, she climbed into the cockpit and put on her helmet. She held the parchment in her hands, reading the words. His words. 

She could almost hear his voice, low and gentle, filled with urgency, singing those words to her.

__

"In the dark he heard a word a whisper,

Asking him to understand.

In the desert look for water, 

On the ocean look for land.

Could you keep our lives together,

Safely back onto the shore.

Could you grant this last illusion,

Only this and nothing more."

The canopy came down and the lights went out, replaced by a simulated star field.

Daggit's voice came over the speaker.

"Pilots, your ships will be placed at half a hectar apart. Once you have located your opponent, the engagement will proceed until one ship or the other registers a fatal hit. Uh, good luck."

Athena folded the paper and slipped it into her pocket.

"Sing to me, Michas," she whispered. She smiled slightly as she could hear his voice echoing in the closed cockpit. Of all places to remember him, this was the place his voice rang clearest. She grasped the controls and took over the flight of her simulated Viper. Michas sat with her. She could feel him all around her, his voice seeming to echo from within the ship itself.

__

Standing alone by the edge of the river.

He traded his life for a glass full of tears.

The bargain was quick, for one's life is less dearer,

When the sand's running out and the ending is near.

The ending is near,

The ending is near,

The ending is…

The man climbed aboard and set sail for the ocean.

He put on the mast all the canvas she'd take,

Then laid himself down on the deck 'neath the tiller

The ship was his coffin, this moment his wake.

Run away reasons,

Run away seasons,

Time is a treason

That I give back to you now.

The wind touched the sails and the ship moved the ocean.

The wind from the storm set the course she would take.

From a journey to nowhere towards a soul on the ocean

From the wake of Aquilon, to Aquilon's wake.

Run away reasons.

Run away seasons.

You take tomorrow,

Because it means nothing

To me,

To me,

To…

Her scanner blinked, and she spied Starbuck, closing fast. She smiled and aimed right for him.

"Come on, Starbuck," she growled. "Come on!"

Starbuck watched his scanner, seeing Athena heading right up his nose.

He focused his attention outside, seeing the spec that was her ship, rapidly growing and taking on shape. A halo erupted behind her Viper and she hurtled toward him at an even greater speed.

"Lords," said Starbuck, he squeezed off a shot, missing, and rolled wildly as Athena's simulated Viper shot past mere metrons away, turbos blazing.

The flash set spots in his eyes, and his ship bounced erratically as he fought to keep control.

"She's crazy," he said to himself, rolling his ship after her. Before he was half way through his turn, she shot past him again, his ship bouncing wildly in her wake. Again he was blinded by the backwash of her turbos. His ship spun wildly.

"Athena!" he called out.

In the observation room, Adama and Apollo stood behind Daggit, watching the emotion playing out on both pilot's faces. The central monitor showed an external view of the battle, with Athena constantly strafing Starbuck at perilously close distances.

Adama watched another near miss, and then looked up at the monitor that showed Athena's face. His heart froze at what he beheld.

She seemed unaware of her surroundings. Her eyes moved quickly, with total detachment as she watched her prey flash past again.

"She's toying with him," he said in horror. "Like a feline with a rodent."

Then he looked up at his son. "That's not my daughter." He said. "I don't know who that is?"

Apollo only nodded in regret.

Michas was singing. His voice surrounded her, like a blanket. Within that blanket, she was invincible. She dropped in behind Starbuck and fired, one of her shots grazing the tail fin of Starbucks Viper.

Starbuck wheeled his Viper over and dove away, turbos blazing. His ship was still flying erratically.

Starbuck reacted on instinct as the simulated laser blasts exploded around him. He blinked furiously, trying to get the spots out of his eyes and glanced behind him at Athena, closing rapidly. Her ship was like a visage of death. A single numbing thought came to him.

"A Viper pilot only flies three Vipers. The one he trains in, the one he escapes from, and the one he dies in."

He rolled in the opposite direction and risked a second glance, just as two more orange lances flashed past him. What he saw was not a simulated enemy. He saw Death.

Death, in the form of a wicked, tri winged bat, untiring, undaunted, and coming for him.

"Oh, frack!" he cried out, and he felt, for the first time, the fear of a man who knows he is about to be destroyed.

Athena pressed her advantage. She watched the cross hairs of her attack computer, and just before the cross hairs centered, she fired, grazing Starbuck's ship again.

The simulator lurched, and several instruments winked out, simulating damage to his ship.

Starbuck hit the braking flaps and reverse thrusters. His ship sped backwards as Athena shot over him.

Athena looked over her shoulder, eyes wide. Quickly, she rolled her ship over and dove away, trying to turn around and face her enemy before Starbuck's crippled fighter got up to speed.

The two simulated vipers passed within six metrons of one another as each pilot committed to the reckless maneuver.

Both simulators bounced violently as they passed through each other's wake.

__

"In the dark he heard a word a whisper,

Asking him to understand.

In the desert look for water, 

On the ocean look for land.

In the dark he heard a word a whisper,

Asking him to understand.

In the desert look for water, 

On the ocean look for land.

And there in the waves,

Was a man in his grave,

That he saw in the night,

'tween the flashes of light,

And he

Could not be there

And all he had prayed,

Or had given away,

He now found to be wrong,

In the grip of the storm.

And he,

Could not be there"

Athena followed the rhythm of the song, the words driving her on. She spun her Viper around again, the alarms signaling excessive stresses before she leveled and closed again on the wounded ship.

"Apollo!" Starbuck called into the mic. "I can't get her off of me!"

His ship bounced again as it received another hit, this time the indicators for his lower left engine flashed red before winking out.

"She's taking me apart!"

Athena jabbed quickly on the reverse thrusters so as not to overshoot Starbuck's crippled ship. She gauged her shot again and fired, watching as her target jumped again.

__

"Could you keep our lives together,

Safely back onto the shore.

Could you grant this last illusion,

Only this and nothing more.

Could you keep our lives together,

Safely back onto the shore.

Could you grant this last illusion,

Only this and nothing more.

And all at once the heavens bled their fire.

The anchor broke, the chains they flew away.

And suddenly the waves were reaching higher

And in the dark I thought I heard them say."

Athena watched her target drifting right into her cross hairs and she fired again.

Starbucks ship lurched again, and this time, he saw that his laser generators winked out. He was crippled and unarmed. He looked behind him and turned his crippled ship out of another deadly volley.

It took little skill for Athena to match Starbuck's move, and she slowly settled into another pursuit slot.

__

"Everything I ever had for one more tomorrow,

Everything I ever had for just one more night.

And if this is not to be I pray could I borrow 

Just another final centar unto my life."

Athena let her finger rest lightly on the fire button, waiting for Starbuck to come into range. Her face was devoid of emotion, her mind reeling in the words that echoed in her mind. She was one with them. One with the ship, the words, the song. She was one with him.

__

"Everything I ever had for one more tomorrow,

Everything I ever had for just one more night.

And if this is not to be I pray could I borrow 

Just another final centar unto my life."

Starbuck looked behind him and saw the hopelessness. He switched the Unicom on.

"Athena!" He called out. "I surrender! I repeat, I surrender!"

Athena heard the plea, but she closed in mercilessly, the targeting computer began flashing. She moved her thumb back on the firing button.

"Dammit Athena!" Starbucks voice came over the speaker. "You win! I surrender!"

__

"Everything I ever had for one more tomorrow,

Everything I ever had for just one more night.

And if this is not to be I pray could I borrow 

Just another final centar unto my life."

She paused, feeling the words. Perhaps hearing them for the first time. A man, lost, and begging for just one more moment. One more chance. Just like him. Just as Michas had probably pleaded in his darkest hour. And someone or something had granted him that.

Her heart began to pound, and the tears welled up in her eyes.

__

"Everything I ever had for one more tomorrow,

Everything I ever had for just one more night.

And if this is not to be I pray could I borrow 

Just another final centar unto my life."

She released the controls as the emotions flooded over her. The sobs burst from her and she fell back in the seat, her simulated Viper falling away from the kill, out of control.

The chamber went dark, and then the lights slowly came up as the canopies of both ships whined open. She ripped the helmet from her head and threw it away, her head dropping back into her hands as she let the sobs burst from her.

A hand came to rest on the back of her head. A loving, familiar hand. She looked up into the eyes of her father. His own eyes streaked with tears.

Carefully, he helped her out and held her to him. She wasn't a warrior at that moment. She was his daughter. A child who had awakened from a nightmare and needed his comfort and compassion.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry." She kept repeating it over and over.

It's all right, my dear," he whispered. He stroked her hair, whispering comforting words in her ear as he led her from the room.

__

"Standing once more by a boat on a river,

He pushes it off while he stays on the land.

And seeing the timeglass now, so much clearer,

Which someone had refilled by hand.

And somewhere that boat's now adrift on the ocean,

The mast at full sail and there's no one on board.

The timeglass no longer sits by the ocean,

Only his footprints all alone on the shore.

And soon they're no more,

No more, 

No more…"

A secton later, she stood against the railing of the celestial dome, her eyes wandering over the tinkling stars in the heavens. In her hand she still held the parchment with the song, the Wake of Aquilon, hanging forgotten in her fingers.

The gentle rumbling beneath her rose in volume as the circular hatch lifted open. Out of the depths climbed Starbuck. He sealed the hatch and removed his earmuffs.

"Hi," he said stepping slowly over to her, the earmuffs bending and twisting nervously in his hands. He finally looped them next to hers on the rail and leaned up beside her, looking out at the stars.

"I didn't know you knew about this place?" he said.

"Apollo told me about it after-" she stopped and looked at him.

"Ah, ah," said Starbuck. Then he smiled. "The council approved the new Raptors."

"So I guess you'll be promoted to Captain, then," said Athena.

Starbuck shook his head. "Naw," he said.

She looked at him in mild surprise.

Starbuck shrugged. "How can I expect anyone to follow my orders when I'm always disobeying Apollo's?" His trademark grin spread on his face.

She smiled and let her head drop.

"Anyway," Starbuck continued. "I prefer to go it alone in a Viper, than having someone sitting behind me and shouting in my ears all the time." He looked out at the stars. "Out there is the only time I get to be alone."

"You always take this long to get to the point?" asked Athena.

"Yeah, well," Starbuck shrugged. "I just, you know. I'm sorry for ever hurting you. I know I haven't been the best thing to happen to you, and I just wanted to-" He stopped, suddenly unsure.

"It's all right, Starbuck," she said.

"Friends?" asked Starbuck.

She looked at him, and for the first time, saw the man in front of her. Not the fantasy. She embraced him fondly.

"Friends," she said.

They stayed that way for a long while. When they parted, Starbuck reached for the earmuffs and headed towards the hatch.

"Oh," he said as if it were an afterthought. "Captain Milesar told me to tell you that he's only filled eleven pilot slots in the new squadron."

"Eleven?" asked Athena.

Starbuck nodded. "The final spot is for you, if you want it."

With that, he disappeared down the hatch.

The launching bay was dark, simulating ship's night as Athena descended the lift. She stepped into the bay and walked over to one of the two prototype Raptors, her hand coming to rest on the cool metallic skin. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she felt a gentle smile tug at her lips.

She climbed up the ladder and into the forward seat. His seat.

Her hands fell on the flight controls, and for a moment, she felt as though she was back again with Michas.

Her head fell slowly back against the headrest and her eyes closed. In one micron, she felt as if she were lying on the beach, with his arms wrapped comfortingly around her.

It was a moment that they had never been able to share, and yet, it was like he was there, sharing it with her in that ship, in that seat. In that moment, she knew what she wanted. For the first time in yahrens, she knew who she was and where she belonged.

His eyes stared into hers and his gentle smile washed away any fears she had.

"Anything the lady wishes…"

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, but she was suddenly aware of a presence. She turned her eyes down towards the floor and found Captain Milesar standing casually by the lift.

"Comfortable?" he asked.

She smiled, looking down at the controls of the powerful new ship.

"Look," Milesar continued. "I need to turn my roster in to the commander for final approval, so-?" He rolled his hand towards her expectantly.

She looked down at him with certain fire in her eyes.

And with a single nod, she gave her answer. "I'm in."

END

   [1]: mailto:leatherknight@hotmail.com



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